It is generally known to provide an evaporative cooler. Such known evaporative coolers are typically adapted for locations where the air is hot and the humidity is low. Such known evaporative coolers operate on the principle of heat absorption by moisture evaporation. Such known evaporative coolers typically draw exterior air into pads soaked with water, where the air is cooled by evaporation and then circulated. The housings of such known evaporative coolers are typically assembled by spot welding galvanized sheets of metal and then powder painting the resulting assembly or by bolting painted sheets of metal together. However, such known evaporative coolers may undergo corrosion from the water over time, especially at the unpainted surfaces of the welded joints of the housing or at the surfaces where the sheets are bolted together. Further, bolting can damage the sheets and provides a non-permanent fastener which may be loosened.
It is also generally known to provide the joining of material using “TOX” systems and methods commercially available from TOX PRESSOTECHNIK GmbH & Co. KG of Weingarten, Germany. According to such known TOX systems and methods, a punch presses the materials to be joined into a cavity. As the force continues to increase, the punch side material is forced to spread outward within the die side material resulting in a joint without burrs or sharp edges on which corrosion could form. However, such known TOX systems and methods are typically used in the automotive industry (e.g. sunroofs, engine bonnets, etc.) and are not known to be used with the housing of an evaporative cooler.
It is also generally known to provide the joining of material using the “TOG-L-LOC” sheet metal joining system commercially available from BTM Corporation of Marysville, Michigan. According to such known TOG-L-LOC sheet metal joining system, a joint is produced in a single stroke by punch and die tooling fitted to a conventional press. Such known TOG-L-LOC sheet metal joining systems offer numerous advantages: no rivets or fasteners, no secondary operations, reduced and simplified maintenance, no transformers or cooling lines, no heat buildup, joining of dissimilar metals and coated metals, leak proof joints, high repeatability, non-destructive checking, long tool life, etc. However, such known TOG-L-LOC sheet metal joining systems are not known to be used with the housing of an evaporative cooler.
It would be desirable to provide a heat exchange system such as an evaporative cooler having a housing that is assembled using a clinching technique. It would further be desirable to provide an evaporative cooler that does not require invasive fasteners or welding equipment to assemble. It would also be desirable to provide an evaporative cooler having pre-painted metal parts. It would further be desirable to provide an evaporative cooler that can be shipped as an unassembled kit of parts. It would still further be desirable to a heat exchange system having one or more of these or other advantageous features.